The Ancestor Of Forgotten Lore
by Crazy-Pairing-Girl
Summary: Dylas had thought he had seen the last of her. She had thought that she would never get another chance to see him. Now, their thoughts are proven wrong, and she has to make up for years of bullying, so she can finally rest in peace. - Doug/Dylas, Onesided Dylas/OC - Prequel to 'The Love of a Dragon'
1. Chapter 1

The Ancestor Of Forgotten Lore

**Yes. I did use a line from my friend's poem ('A Love Not Yet Told') as the title. Thanks for noticing.**

**(Speaking of my friend's poem, I think she'd like it if someone reviewed it. It's on my profile, so just click my name and find it, if you would)**

**Now, then. I'd like it to be noted that I have multiple ideas for Lenore's past. Multiple 'AUs' if you wanna be technical.**

**However, this is the main idea, or 'canon' idea for her past. As in, if she were an actual character, this is the past that would be used. Thus, it is the past that I chose for this fic.**

**Also, this is a prequel of sorts to 'The Love of a Dragon' so I am sorry to say that that particular fic will be put on temporary hiatus until the completion of this fic. My apologies.**

**That is all. I do not own RF4.**

She did not belong here.

She was supposed to be dead.

Those two thoughts rang through the red-haired female's head, as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. The area around her smelled of rainwater, trees, and flowers. She stared around, and glanced down.

_Here lies Lenore Ganger. May her life continue in the Forest of Beginnings, and may her soul find happiness._

_'That's right' _she realized, as she stared at the tombstone. She had committed suicide after...

Tears found their way to her eyes, but somehow her eyes didn't burn. Somehow, when she saw a tear drip, it disappeared into thin air.

Somehow, these Chipsqueeks, Woolies and Orcs seemed terrified of her.

She glanced at her hand. It seemed relatively normal, not see-through or anything. But as she touched a tree...

Her fingers went right through it.

"I'm a spirit!" she gasped. Her voice echoed throughout her surroundings in an ominous way, causing the monsters to scatter.

She glanced around. From what she could tell, she was in the middle of the hidden forest cemetery of her old town. Unfortunately, no one knew how long she'd been dead, so she decided to go towards a random direction.

After a while of walking, she came upon a bunch of old ruins, surrounded by water. Water Ruins, she remembered.

_'Though it's become much more ruined since my death'_

She figured this was as good a place as any to look for someone. Chances were one in a thousand, or maybe a million, but she couldn't be hurt. The monsters were terrified of her, plus even if they weren't, they couldn't exactly re-kill her.

So, in she went.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long before she came upon a stone tablet.<p>

_'What does this say?'_

It was written in an ancient language. It was older than what she was used to reading, anyway. She knelt down, brushing her ghostly fingers over the words, a fond smile on her face.

_'Everyone is forgotten eventually. The same is true for languages. If someone from my previous life is here, what are the chances they would remember me? Just as I am sure no one can remember how to read this, no one would know who I_ _am'_

After pondering this for a few minutes, she sighed.

"That could be a good thing, however. Especially if _he_ is still alive..."

Memories of how horrible she'd been came flooding back. The taunting, the shoving, the teasing. And worst of all, she knew that she had done it because she wanted to hide her crush.

She sobbed. Tears fell from her eyes, disappearing just before they hit the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She froze. That voice... It couldn't be...

She turned slowly. The blue hair, those amber eyes- which were widening in surprise as he seemed to realize who he was talking to- and the confident way he was standing.

"Lenore?" he whispered in shock, and that did it.

"Dylas?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Hello anyone who read this... Um... HAS anyone read this?!... No reviews or anything.**

**Oh well. I'll try to keep going. Maybe someone will eventually review, huh.**

**I do not own RF4.**

The two stayed in silence for a long time, just staring at each other. Dylas, wondering how she could be alive. Lenore, wondering how she could start apologizing.

"Dylas, I-"

"Why are you here?"

Lenore was shocked back into silence by the harsh tone of his words. She stared blankly at him.

"Why? How? How are you even alive in this era?"

The fear was beginning to eat away at her soul, and with it came anger. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, so she didn't lash out again.

"I am not alive. I am a spirit"

Dylas crossed his arms, a disbelieving glare on his face. She could only sigh in response.

"And besides... I could very well ask you the same" she whispered. He raised an eyebrow.

"...Tch. You don't need to know"

Lenore nodded slowly. Whatever reason he was able to be alive now, it really wasn't her business. Especially with their past.

"Where do you live?"

"You don't need to know that either"

"Can I..."

He raised his eyebrow again, waiting for her to finish whatever her sentence was.

"Can I see the town you live in at least?"

"No. I don't want to see you ever again"

Lenore felt a dull ache in her chest, where her heart had presumably stopped beating. She stood up, looking Dylas in the eye.

"Please, even a spirit needs to socialize. I swear I'll never speak to you, or even look at you, if you just take me to town"

He stared at her, searching for any signs of a lie. Finally, he gave in.

"Fine. But I swear, if I see you anywhere-"

"You won't"

"...Okay then"

With that, Dylas started to lead Lenore towards town.

"This town is called Selphia. It's a nice place, not really for mean people like you, but they accepted me so _maybe _they could accept you"

Lenore nodded. She didn't dare mention the 'mean person' comment, because it was well-deserved.

* * *

><p>"Hey Dylas!"<p>

A bleach blond boy, who looked very much like a girl in her opinion, came running over. His face was sporting a large grin, and in his hands was a fishing pole.

"I just got a new pole, and I thought you could use my old one... If that's okay! I mean, I know you were talking about how you needed a new one, and it's not EXACTLY new, but-"

"Thanks Lest" Dylas cut him off, taking the pole in his hands and studying it.

"It's nice" he said with a smile. The man- Lest- beamed.

"So, who's this? A traveler?" he turned to look at Lenore, a curious look on his face.

"Ah, actually, I'm..."

Lenore wasn't sure how to word this. They definitely weren't friends, but they weren't acquaintances. Enemies sounded a bit too extreme, though.

"She's just a spirit of someone from my past, actually" Dylas seemed distant, and mildly upset as he identified Lenore as someone from his past. She couldn't blame him, from how awful she had been, but it still hurt...

"A spirit? Like Pico?" Lest asked in wonder.

"No. Pico is a ghost. There's a difference" Dylas replied.

"How so?"

"If I may..." Lenore interrupted, feeling very shy. Lest looked over at her.

"Ghosts are forms of souls. These souls refused to leave when their body died, so they stay by attaching a link between themselves and a living being. Spirits are also forms of souls, but these souls have a reason for staying or coming back. They have unfinished business. Ghosts are sort of selfish, they simply don't want to leave, so they decide to mooch on someone else's life. Spirits don't really need to attach any links, they just take care of whatever business they need to and move on"

Lest stayed silent, clearly processing all this information. Dylas sighed.

"Lest, is there anywhere Lenore can stay?"

"Hmm? Well, there might be a place at the inn..."

"Oh goodness no!" Lenore cried. Lest and Dylas looked at her.

"I-I don't have any money! How can you expect me to pay for a room? It's fine, really! Spirits don't even need a bed! I can sleep on the ground!"

Lest stared at her for a moment.

"Lenore, was it? You can stay at the inn. I'll pay for it"

"N-no! I don't want to impose!"

"Just let her sleep on the ground. She deserves it" Dylas said, giving her a cold glare. Lest looked between them.

"So, I guess you guys aren't friends?"

"Definitely not" Dylas responded. Lenore only looked at the ground in shame.

Lest stayed quiet.

"Fine, you can sleep on the ground. But at least make it the ground in the lobby of the inn. Even a spirit gets cold, right?" he finally said.

"...Yes, I suppose. Very well, I'll stay there"

"Great!" Lest was grinning again, and Lenore couldn't help but give a small smile as well. Dylas rolled his eyes.

"I'm going back to the restaurant. Lest, if you want to, you can show her around town. But keep her away from me"

He gave one final glare to Lenore before walking away, and Lenore sighed in defeat.

"He'll never forgive me..."

"Huh?" Lest glanced at her. She shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Um, would you mind showing me to the inn for now?" she asked politely. Lest shrugged.

"Sure. Later I'll introduce you to everyone else. Including my sister, she'll be happy to meet a new neighbor"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Hello! A special shoutout to my very first reviewer, Le Redhead Merchant! I am glad you are enjoying this, even though it'll end up being yaoi. Also thanks for the compliments. I will try to go into more detail, as well. ;)**

**Also I have to type on my grandma's computer. Long story, but I got banned from my mom's. So I have to write this every day after I finish schoolwork at my granny's house. Thankfully that doesn't take long, only about an hour or so.**

**That's all! I do not own RF4.**

Lenore smiled kindly at the woman- Lin Fa- as she agreed to let her sleep in the lobby.

"Though, I could let you work for us. Then you could stay in a room" she suggested. Lenore shook her head.

"No thanks. Spirits don't need a bed. I'm perfectly fine sleeping on the floor"

After a small pause, she added,

"But if you are desperate for an extra hand, I could still help out"

"Are you sure?" Lin Fa asked uncertainly. Before Lenore could reply, a girl- who Lest had identified as Xiao Pai earlier- came in, looking a bit nervous and guilty.

"Um, Mama? It seems I burned the dinner again"

Lin Fa stared at Xiao Pai, then turned back to Lenore.

"How are you at cooking?"

"I'm pretty good. I love making sweets especially, but I can make a lot of things" Lenore replied with a smile.

"You're hired"

"Huh?!" Xiao Pai was clearly confused, and Lenore giggled.

"What were you trying to make? Maybe I can help" she suggested, not bothering to reply to her outburst.

Xiao Pai stared blankly at her for a moment.

"It seems I was making some udon for the guests. You can help, yes?"

"I could try, though I've only ever made it a few times"

"It seems that even a little experience is better than what I have, yes?" Xiao Pai responded, looking a bit upset.

Lenore felt sorry for her.

"Why don't you show me exactly what you did, and I'll try and help. Just give me a minute"

She turned to Lest, who was chatting with... Some green-haired girl with pigtails. She walked over.

"Hey, Lest? I'm going to help out here a little. Can you come back later and show me around then?" she asked.

"Sure! No problem" he replied with another grin. He turned to the girl.

"By the way, this is Frey, my sister"

"Oh! Nice to meet you. I'm Lenore" Lenore said with a smile.

"Hello Lenore. Lest tells me that you used to know Dylas in your past life? Or... Something like that?" Frey asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

Lenore felt a twinge of pain as Dylas's name was mentioned. She looked to the ground in shame.

"Ah, yes... I did..."

Before Lest or Frey could question, she rushed back to Xiao Pai.

"Okay, let's see how I can help" she said with a forced smile. She wasn't sure if Xiao Pai noticed, but if she did, she didn't say anything.

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's see... For starters, you got the pot wayy too warm. Secondly, how long was it cooking?"<p>

"Um... Half an hour" Xiao Pai responded.

"Well, you'll need to lower the fire a bit, about... here" Lenore explained, as she lowered the fire to the correct intensity.

"And you should only cook it for about fifteen minutes. Anymore and it'll be too done"

"I see... Thank you for helping, yes?" Xiao Pai grinned. Lenore shrugged, smiling.

"No problem. Is there anything else you need me to help with?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Pai looked around the room.

"It seems I cannot think of anything. I will come get you if I need you again, yes?"

"Alright, then"

With that, Lenore exited the room, and headed into the lobby...

Where she saw a red-headed dwarf. Who looked almost exactly like her.

Except that he was male.

_'Is he my descendant?!... No, impossible. I committed suicide... Maybe he's not a direct descendant... Maybe from one of my siblings...'_

Regardless, she started to panic. What would this man say if he saw the ghost of his descendant?

Too late. He looked over.

Swallowing nervously, she walked towards him.

"Hey! What's up? I'm Doug"

"Hello. My name is Lenore" she replied nervously.

"Oh yeah! You're that spirit that Dylas doesn't like"

She winced.

"What did you do to him to make him hate you so much?"

Lenore looked down in shame, tears falling and disappearing as she started to cry.

"I... Was a truly awful person... I was absolutely terrible to him, and the reason I was so horrid is pretty stupid"

"What reason could you have had?!"

Dylas's voice shocked her. She whirled around, starting to tremble in fear at Dylas's glare.

"What possible reason could you have had for making my life LIVING HELL?! I never did ANYTHING to you! You just came up to me one day, and called me a freak! And after that it only got worse! You shoved me, you beat me, you destroyed my self-esteem in every possible way! What reason, stupid or not, could you have had for all of that?!"

Lenore stayed silent, eyes wide, trying to come up with a response.

_'He'll never believe me... Never forgive me... I don't deserve forgiveness, but...'_

"I didn't have one. I'm sorry"

Dylas only rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky you're already dead"

Then, Dylas looked at Doug.

"You see her? If it weren't for her, maybe..."

He cut himself off, shaking his head.

"Never mind. Just get out of my way, shrimp"

Doug looked like he wanted to retort to that 'shrimp' comment, but seemed to sense how angry Dylas was and simply stepped aside, mouth shut tight. He may not seem like it, but he could definitely tell when Dylas was about to punch him. And he knew that as long as Lenore was in the room, Dylas would be that much closer to blowing a fuse.

Dylas stormed away, out of the inn.

Doug glanced over to Lenore, and saw that she was crying again.

"Hey, what's wrong? I mean, no offense, but if what he said was true, then I think you kinda deserved that rant"

"That's not it..."

Doug stared at her in confusion, but didn't ask. He didn't feel like comforting some random ghost girl he just met.

_'That may have been my only chance to tell him... My only chance to try and make amends... I blew it'_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Wow! I am so happy that... Well, two people like my fic. Two isn't a lot, but it's something! More than what I'd thought I'd get.**

**To those of you saying that she isn't a Mary Sue, I'd like to say thanks. I tried to give her a sense of realism. Because even though she's Doug's ancestor... Let's be honest. How many of you think that you're EXACTLY like your ancestors? I honestly doubt that...**

**Okay that's all! I do not own RF4.**

Lenore walked in between Lest and Frey, as the two called out to different villagers, introducing them to her. She smiled kindly at everyone, being as polite as she could.

Though, her mind was a wreck.

She couldn't help but think of her encounter with Dylas earlier. What he had said was true. Every word of it, and she was utterly ashamed.

She hadn't expected him to forgive her very quickly, but she didn't think he'd lash out. When they were children, he would just cower in fear when he saw her coming... Another twinge of regret struck her as she remembered the fear in his eyes back then, and the anger from about two hours ago.

However, she had always been good at pretending. That was why Dylas still hated her, because she had made him believe that she hated him.

In all honesty, the sting of rejection would have been better in the long run, than the sting of regret and guilt she felt now.

Nonetheless, she put on the mask and pretended to be happy for the townsfolk. Especially that knight, Forte, who seemed a bit on edge when Lest explained that she was a spirit. Lenore made sure to be extra nice to her, so she wouldn't be too scared later on.

* * *

><p>Lenore laid down on the floor, a blanket thrown over her body and a pillow under her head.<p>

It had to be 2:00 in the morning by now.

She couldn't sleep at all.

Maybe spirits didn't need sleep? Maybe she was just supposed to lay here, wide awake until morning?

But she knew that wasn't it.

Every time she closed her eyes, Dylas's face popped into her mind. Whether it was child Dylas, cowering in a corner, sobbing from her torturing, or adult Dylas, screaming at her, making _her _cower. It didn't matter, it hurt either way.

She heard footsteps coming, and she looked up to see a fellow she'd met earlier in the day coming downstairs. Leon, she remembered.

"What're you doing up?" she asked. Leon glanced at her.

"I woke up, and I'm thirsty. Still tired, but thirsty"

Leon went into the kitchen area and got himself a glass of water. Lenore laid her head back down, waiting for the question she knew would come.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I have a lot on my mind" Her response was hesitant. No doubt Leon sensed it.

"Like what?"

Lenore felt her chest tighten.

"If I told you, you'd never get back to sleep" she admitted, trying to get him to leave.

"A mid-day nap never hurt anyone" he replied, a small smirk on his face. Lenore couldn't tell if he was toying with her, or if he was genuinely concerned.

Probably both.

Nonetheless, she figured he wouldn't leave her alone unless she told him _something_, so she sat up, clutching the blanket as close to her chest as she could without it passing through her.

"I... I regret everything I ever did to Dylas"

Tears fell, staining the blanket, then somehow disappearing. She drew a shaky breath before continuing.

"I don't know why I came back, now of all times. But I know that... It was because I need to make it up to him. I need to show him that I am sorry... But he hates me now. He has a right, but he won't even listen to my reasoning... Not that he should. My reasoning isn't... It's not... It's not right. I thought that, because I had a crush on him, and I didn't want him to know, I thought it would be okay to bully him. Not just verbal abuse either. As my crush got stronger, I would escalate into physical violence"

Lenore stopped. She didn't want to tell Leon the rest. She couldn't tell him why she committed suicide, but judging by the look on his face, he knew there was more.

"And... One day, he disappeared. No one heard from him, no one saw him, for months. Everyone was saying that he had died. But... I couldn't accept that. I went to his home, and found a note. It said that he had left. He didn't say what he had done, but he said that whatever it was, it was to help his friend. He said that... We would never see him again. He said he was sorry, but then he singled me out as the one person... That he hated. He said that he never did anything to incur my anger, and you know what? He was right. It was because of my own, stupid crush, and my refusal to simply tell him, that he had left forever"

She paused, trying to calm herself before she continued.

"So... I bought some rope... And I went out on a boat. I tied my legs to two large rocks... And... I drowned myself. I didn't deserve to live! I didn't _want _to live, knowing that I had driven him away!"

She was full-out sobbing by now. She looked up at Leon's face, and needless to say, he was completely shocked. He was staring at Lenore, wide eyed, mouth slightly open. He didn't speak, or move, for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few minutes.

"Lenore... I'm sorry... I don't know what to..."

Leon went silent. Lenore sighed.

"Never mind. I didn't mean to dump all that on you... Just forget it"

Lenore laid back down, and did her best to try and sleep.

Leon went back upstairs, Lenore's story replaying in his head, over and over.

He needed to speak with Dylas.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Woot woot! :D Sorry I just felt like doing that.**

**Uh, I don't have much to say here. Thanks for all the reviews so far!**

**I do not own RF4.**

Lenore twisted her hands together nervously, biting her lip as she looked at Leon.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

She and Leon stood outside the restaurant, where Leon said Dylas worked.

"Yes, I am. He agreed to be at least moderately civil, so what's there to lose?"

"My dignity" she muttered, making Leon roll his eyes.

"Come on now. You said you felt guilty, and quite frankly I see no other way to get rid of the guilt"

"Really? Are you sure?"

She was stalling, and they both knew it. Leon just sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Geez, the first time since I can remember I'm actually helping someone, and they aren't even taking my advice"

Lenore bit her lip again, looking at the door.

"Alright... I'm going in..."

She slowly opened the door, giving one last pleading look to Leon, and walked inside.

* * *

><p>This could not have been more awkward.<p>

Lenore and Dylas had been sitting at the table, staring at each other, for who knows how long, and neither of them was saying anything.

In all honesty, Lenore was waiting for him to lash out at her. Although Leon had said that he would be civil, that didn't ease her worries at all. He certainly seemed like the type who would lie or toy with someone, and she wasn't about to take any chances.

"Well? Are you going to explain yourself?"

Lenore's head shot up, as she had previously been staring at the table. Dylas's voice held no anger, only curiosity. And his eyes were the same. He was not angry, not now at least. That gave her confidence.

"How much did Leon tell you?"

"Well, he said that somehow, I had made you angry, but not in the way I thought. That's just really confusing, so could you clarify?"

Lenore took a deep breath, biting her lip again. She chose to avert her eyes from Dylas's, deciding to stare at the wall instead.

"I had a huge crush on you"

There. The worst part was over. She started to talk again, before Dylas could even blink.

"I don't know why, but... You remember the day I first met you. That was the day I started to bully you. It was when my crush started. I thought... I didn't want you to know, so I figured it would be better to make you think I hated you. Typical child reasoning" she gave a nervous laugh before continuing.

"I never told Leon that you had made me angry, but I guess that, in a way, you had. I was angry, because I thought you'd never like me back... But it was still my fault. It was my fault that you hated me. It was my fault that you left. I couldn't live with that!"

She finally looked at Dylas, and he was staring at her, face blank, calculating.

"What do you mean? 'You couldn't live with that'?" he finally asked. She sighed.

"Dylas, right after I found your note... I drowned myself"

His eyes went wide. He shook his head in shock.

"Lenore... I'm sorry... I never knew-"

"Of course you didn't. It was my fault you didn't"

Dylas sighed.

"But... I only wish that I _had _known" he whispered, so quietly she barely caught it.

"Why?"

"...You've met Doug, right?"

"Yeah"

"Well, I think it's safe to say that he's your descendant"

"I think so"

He cleared his throat, seeming nervous.

"I'm pretty much going through the same thing... With Doug"

Lenore was shocked into silence.

"I probably could have been nice to him, but from the moment I first saw him, he reminded me of you. Not personality-wise, but looks-wise. And I was scared. When I first realized I had fallen for him, I thought that he would be like you. So... I pretended to hate him. I didn't want to get hurt"

Lenore couldn't speak. She was too stunned. Dylas was gay. But she didn't really mind, because at least he knew how she felt. Still... It was her fault. He couldn't confess his love, because she had been unable to confess hers. It was a vicious cycle.

And it needed to stop.

"You have to confess"

Dylas's head shot up.

"What?!"

"Dylas, do you hate me, now that you know the truth?"

"No!"

"Well, who's to say it won't be the same with you and Doug? Have you gotten into physical fights with him?"

"Other than arm-wrestling, no"

"Then you have an even better shot! Dylas, you have to take the chance that I never could. Take it before it's too late, because chances are that YOU won't get another chance!"

Dylas shook his head.

"No!"

Lenore leaned over the table, looking him in the eyes as she spoke in a low tone of voice.

"Dylas. Do you want to live in regret and guilt? Like I have been, ever since I came back? Because believe me, it is not a fun feeling. If you tell him, at least he'll know. At least you won't have to pretend to hate him anymore. If you don't tell him, you will be jealous of whoever he does end up with. Not because they have him, but because they could _tell him, _when you were unable"

She sat back down, staring at Dylas with a look. Neither of them could really describe the look, but it gave Dylas a bit of courage, so that was all that mattered.

"...I should at least try to be friends with him first. If I try telling him now, he won't believe me"

"Fair enough. But... Please promise me you'll make it happen. Even if he rejects you, please promise that you'll never stop loving him"

Lenore got a few tears in her eyes, but this time they didn't fall.

"That was my mistake. Not only did I never tell you, but I let you go without even discovering how you felt. I let you go... Without being a friend"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Okay, I have a good explanation! See, originally I was waiting for my friend to write me an *ahem* M rated chapter. But I've decided to forget about that. They're really busy lately, plus if my mom saw an M rated fanfic on my profile she'd FREAK. So... To those that I informed of that? Yeah, forget it... I'm going with a different route.**

**Anyway! I do not own RF4 blah blah blah! :D On with the story!**

Lenore felt better than ever, after she'd gotten Dylas to forgive her. Now, to get him together with Doug.

_Though, that's probably easier said than done..._ she thought. She shrugged, as she continued to walk towards the castle. She intended to speak with either Lest or Frey. Or maybe both, if they were both there.

So when she arrived, she was pleased to see that Lest was there, cooking. Frey was nowhere to be seen, but that didn't bother Lenore.

"Oh, hey Lenore! What's up?" Lest asked as he looked up. Lenore caught a small whiff of what he was cooking- Curry Rice. She smiled sweetly.

"Well, I was hoping you could help me out?"

* * *

><p>A little while later, Lenore had told Lest everything, from her past with Dylas all the way to what she'd just learned of his relationship with Doug. He sat in shocked silence for a while, before grinning.<p>

"I knew those two were in love"

Lenore blinked.

"So, you think Dylas's affections are returned, then?"

"Most likely. But honestly, I'm not sure. He's not exactly the most social person, after all"

"Are you referring to Doug or Dylas?" Lenore asked jokingly. Lest chuckled.

"Both"

Lenore nodded her head.

"I've managed to convince Dylas to at least be friends with Doug, but I was hoping you could make sure that Doug doesn't think it's a joke, as Dylas seems to think he will"

"So what would I have to do, then?" Lest asked.

"Oh, just... Anything. Just get Doug to realize that things can't keep going on like they are, so maybe he'll also be willing to reconcile with Dylas" Lenore explained. Ledt nodded.

"I can do that" he agreed.

"Great"

* * *

><p>True to his word, Lest showed up at the General Store later that day to speak with Doug.<p>

"Hey, Doug, can I talk to you for a second?" Lest asked as he approached the counter. Seeming to sense that this was an important issue, Doug looked over to Granny Blossom.

"You go ahead and talk with him dear" she said, and Doug beamed. The two men walked outside the store.

"So, Doug... You fight a lot with Dylas, huh?" Lest said, unsure of how to start. Doug looked at him warily.

"Yeah. Why shouldn't I?"

"Well... Uh, maybe you could be the bigger person? And try to patch things up?"

Doug laughed.

"Are you serious?! No way! I'd never 'patch things up' with that flea bitten, swayback nag!"

Lest frowned. He had a feeling that this was going deeper than he expected.

"Why do you hate Dylas so much?"

Doug sighed.

"You want to know why? It's because of Lenore. My ancestor. Not a lot of people know, but after Lenore killed herself, people spread her story around. She was perfectly nice to Dylas! He had no reason to hate her so much, to single her out as the one person he hated in that note! And all because of that note, Lenore killed herself. And then when he came to town, he decided to do the same to me! We'd never even met, but he decided to give me the same treatment he'd given Lenore! I can't... I can't be friends with him! Ever!"

With that, Doug stormed inside. Lest was confused beyond belief.

Lenore had heard every word.

**Uh oh! Sounds like Doug was given some false information! What'll happen next?**


End file.
